Just Imagine (2016)

Premiered March 7, 2016 by the Learning and Participation Ensemble at Symphony Hall in Birmingham, England(sinfonietta, student ensemble, and electronics)Duration: 7’

Program Notes:

Rehearsal footage for 'Just Imagine'.

"the future does not belong to those who gather armies on a field of battle or bury missiles in the ground; the future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create… just imagine what you can create in the years to come." - President Barack Obama

When asked to a write a new work for young people, I started to reflect upon my own experiences as a young musician. I was quite fortunate to be in a school system with an excellent music program. I sang in choirs, played in the wind ensemble, jazz band, chorus, and more. I know now that not everybody is afforded this same opportunity.

Just Imagine is a celebration of the power and creativity of young people. The work incorporates fragments of student generated material as part of the overall composition. It was written with all levels of players in mind: all the musicians, from professional to beginner, are contributing to the whole of the work. Individual lines build into massive walls of sound. Student soloists introduce melodic material that the entire ensemble takes up.

Recording:

Chris Cresswell

Composer/Guitarist

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